Black Rose
by n i g h t s t a r d u s t
Summary: Because he loves you.
1. Chapter 1

**Black Rose**

So, this is my new story, um, it's called Black Rose (kinda obvious), and it's a special day-after-Valentine's-Day story. Going to be multiple chapters, maybe two or three chapters, and this kind of focuses on a darker, more angsty mood than The Acquaintances—which is basically just fluff.

Warning To All Silver Fangirls: Don't hate me when you read this—I'm a Silver fangirl too.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, shippings, song lyrics (yes, this is a songfic, going to be a song in each chapter, lyrics are italicized), et cetera, portrayed in this fanfic.

* * *

Lyra remembered clearly the day Silver gave her the black rose. It was Valentine's Day, and they had just started dating last October. Dragging Silver to the Valentine's carnival in Olivine City and making him sit through all the rides with her and eat ice cream—he always kept his poker face on, never showing much emotion, but, then again, she loved him for that.

_I always needed time on my own_

_I never thought I'd need you there when I cry_

_And the days feel like years when I'm alone_

_And the bed where you lie is made up on your side_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?__  
_

And when he gave her her present—she could still remember the look on his face, silver eyes staring into her own as he held out the beautiful black rose, carved out of glossy obsidian, the edges of the hard petals rimmed with glittery silver, and a looped string of perfectly round, black jet beads falling in an arc from the bottom of the rose—and pinned it in her hair—and smiled.

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it OK_

_I miss you…_

"Silver, why did you give me a black rose?" Lyra had asked, confused. "Aren't-aren't those worn at funerals and stuff?"

He had just smiled secretively, brushing a stray lock of her hair out of her eyes, before leaning in for a kiss. She could still recall his words.

"You'll see."

And thinking back on it, Lyra could've sworn his smile was tinged with sadness.

_I've never felt this way before_

_Everything that I do reminds me of you_

_And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor_

_And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do__  
_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

She understood now. She understood everything—how he had kept everything a secret from her, so she wouldn't be touched by the same sadness. And now, all she could do was cry, hating herself for not knowing something was wrong, for not comforting him when he must've needed her.

Lyra was fed up. Fed up with tears and untouched meals, fed up with the pictures of the two of them, together and happy and _alive_.

But now, she was dressed beautifully in black lace and satin, champion of Johto, the strongest trainer in the world, with as many fans and friends as she could ever possibly want.

Lyra would trade all of that just for a second with Silver.

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it OK_

_I miss you…_

No. She had to be strong. Be strong, for Silver, who would've wanted that. And that was the sole reason why Lyra brushed away the butterfly tears from staining her cheeks and pinned the black rose Silver had given her in her hair—she saw now why he gave it to her, she saw everything now, but it was too late, it was too _late_—and, coming out of her house in Cherrygrove City, flew on her Lugia to Lavender Town.

The town famed for its ghost Pokémon and Pokémon cemeteries.

The town where Silver's funeral would take place.

_We were made for each other_

_Out here forever_

_I know we were, yeah_

* * *

The funeral ceremony was over, but Lyra wouldn't be going to eat with the other mourners. Kneeling in front of Silver's tombstone—it was silver, like his name—she read his obituary. Funny how the entire life of someone could be summed up in just a few simple sentences.

Here lies Silver Rocket, died at nineteen years of age, from an incurable illness. Funny, sweet, occasionally mysterious, Silver is loved and remembered by his family and girlfriend, Lyra Kotone.

That was it. Lyra smiled, a bitter, small smile. _Loved and remembered by his family_—what family? Giovanni, who basically abandoned his son, Silver's mother, who left the house because Silver was too much of a burden? None of them had come to his funeral, even though Lyra had sent an email to Giovanni, signing herself as "the girl who defeated you in the cave the second time Team Rocket rose up." Only Lyra, her mother, Ethan, Lance, Kris, and a few others Lyra didn't really know had come.

Maybe it was better that way.

_And all I ever wanted was for you to know_

_Everything I'd do, I give my heart and soul_

_I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah_

"Why, Silver? Why didn't you tell me you had contracted that illness? Why did you have to go and be kind and understanding and _not freaking tell me_?" Lyra whispered, butterfly tears sliding down her face again.

The answer came quickly, like it had every single time Lyra asked that question.

Because he loved you.

Because, even now, he still loves you.

Because he loves you, and doesn't—didn't—want you to be hurt in any way. Didn't want the fact that he was dying affect your relationship.

Because he loves you.

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it OK_

_I miss you…_

Because he loves you, and because he was a doofus.

But Lyra loves him for that.

* * *

Yeah! Angsty, short songfic! The song, by the way, is When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne (I'm going to try to not use Tswift songs for this fic). This actually didn't take me that long to write…I was expecting it to be very time-consuming. Apparently not!


	2. Chapter 2

**Black Rose**

Second chapter is up! So, this is what basically happened every single freaking day while I was drafting this and searching the ends of the world for a good song:

* * *

Star: Uh huh, uh huh, yeah, yeah, that dog is CUTE, oh—Taylor Swift's Innocent would be perfect-oh. No Tswift songs. *Sigh*.

Star's Best Friend Whose Name Is Undisclosed For Paranoid Reasons: Vic Mignogna's got this song—plays it from her phone.

Star: You know, this might be okay, actually—oh. Brown eyes? Silver's eyes aren't brown. *Throws hands up in defeat*.

Epilogue: Star finally found a perfect song. It was staring her in the face the entire time, actually.

* * *

A Note From Star: I'm pretty sure everybody knows what this song is, but, uh, let's just say this: Celine Dion. Titanic. 'Nuff said.

* * *

Lyra's Pokemon Team: Meganium, Espeon, Lugia, Ninetales, Mawile, Tentacruel.

Disclaimer: Owning of Pokemon and Lyra and Silver and My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion and everything else in this fanfic except the plot and run-on sentences with way too many 'and's in them is not owned by me.

* * *

Lyra sighed, tilting her head back to catch the sun on her face, the light sea breeze blowing her long hair back. She was sitting on a stretch of Cherrygrove's famous white sand beaches, her team positioned in various places on the sand. Tentacruel was bobbing in the water, only its blue top visible above the waves. Espeon was stretched out in a patch of warm sun, napping. Mawile was perched atop a rock at the edge of the water, letting it lap at her toes. Ninetales was beside Espeon, making sure to stay far away from the waves, while Lugia circled overhead, its shadow so large it almost blotted out the sun.

It was three months now. Three months since she had vowed to wear only white, black, and gray for a year, three months since the funeral, three months since it had been a crime to smile and treason to laugh.

And for every night of those three months, Lyra had dreamt of the same thing every night.

Silver.

_Every night in my dreams  
I see you, I feel you  
That is how I know you, go on_

Far across the distance  
And spaces between us  
You have come to show you, go on

Lyra hadn't made a public appearance since Silver's death. The fans and the media were actually being quite tolerant about it. She still accepted challengers, though—it was her duty as champion, and Pokemon battles helped to take her mind off of the grief. Ethan, Kris, her mom—they had all tried to console her, to help her get over it, and Lyra supposed they had helped, in a crooked kind of way, so what had been a fresh wound was now stitched up and forced closed, the pain numb, dull, veiled.

There are two things that happen to those whose hearts are broken such as Lyra's had been. Either they never heal, or they heal so that right is wrong and up is down and you cry yourself to sleep most nights. Lyra was fairly certain hers had taken the second option. And now, she wasn't sure which one was better.

_Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

Footsteps sounded on the beach behind her. Lyra turned and saw a guy, one, maybe two years older than her, lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer.

"Lyra Kotone? _You're_ the champion? Well," the guy said, sizing her up, "you're certainly much less impressive in real life."

Had he said that to her five months ago, Lyra would've instantly bashed his skull in. But now, she regarded the guy with a cool indifference, barely reacting to his insult.

"Yes?" Lyra made sure to drag out the word slightly, tilting her head up at him, arching one delicate eyebrow, brimming over with insolence.

"I challenge you."

Lyra was used to this form of challenge. So-and-so challenged her, keeping his identity a secret so if he lost he wouldn't be humiliated, and if he won, he could instantly reveal his name and accept the glory head-on. Lyra didn't mind. They always lost anyway, even as this guy would lose.

But just as she was about to call her Espeon over, the guy said something that made her freeze.

"This whole 'mourning for your boyfriend' thing is a hoax. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. The rest of the world is convinced, but I'm not. You just want to be lazy and shirk your duties as champion. You didn't even love your boyfriend. You know something? I think you two just got together for more media attention. People like you disgust me. In fact, it's probably better off for the world that your so-called 'boyfriend' died, anyway."

Lyra had tried to ignore him, up until the last few sentences. How dare he. _How dare he._

_Love can touch us one time, _

_And last for a lifetime_

_And never let go till we're gone_

_Love was when I loved you_

_One true time I hold to_

_In my life we'll always go on_

But instead of turning and giving this jerk just what he deserved, Lyra turned to face him, seeing his eyes widen at the sight of her tears, seeing him take a step back, back from her, back from the fury she radiated.

A little ways off on the beach, Silver's Pokemon were resting. His will—'everything goes to Lyra'. Including his Pokemon. She had never used them in a battle before, but it was clear that they had heard the guy's words and were furious.

Twelve powerhouse pokemon stood behind Lyra. She was now far more powerful that the challenger, far more powerful than he had ever been. Lyra watched his eyes widen in fear as she opened her mouth to speak, ignoring the salty tears on her lips.

"Double battle."

That was it. He blinked, then glared at her, seething.

"Go! Haunter, Shiftry!"

The two Pokemon emerged, letting out battle cries.

Lyra simply raised her arms.

_Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

Sand billowed up from the beach in sheets as the two legendary pokemon rose up. Her Lugia, and Silver's Ho-oh, each one with the sun at their backs, each one proud and regal and absolutely stunning. Lugia's eyes glowed, its body so massive that Lyra was barely the size of its head. Ho-oh was smaller, but a crest of flickering fire danced along its body, catching the light of the sun and reflecting it, trailing rainbows of light from its wings.

Lyra watched the challenger's head crane to see the two pokemon, watched his Shiftry stumble backwards and his Haunter disappear and reappear, panicky, and for a moment, she was happy.

She almost didn't recognize her own voice when it came. It was clear, quiet, and inordinately calm, despite the choking tears that continued to come.

"Lugia, Aeroblast. Ho-oh, Sacred Fire."

A massive funnel of air swept through the beach, buffeting the waves to swell and the sand to fly up, smashing into Haunter, sending it crashing down the beach, over the neatly paved cobblestone roads, before slamming into the wall of her house, right next to the window, and then falling back onto the ground.

At the same time, the crest of fire dancing along Ho-oh's wings burst up and roared into Shiftry, tossing it up into the air, so high that it was no more that a speck, before crashing into the shallow surf.

And still the white flames flickered, dancing with the waves, before finally dissipating and letting the waves, swelled by Aeroblast, to brutally push it up again and then to sweep it with them over to the edge of the water, where the waves washed back out and abandoned it on the sand.

The tears stopped.

_You're here, there's nothing I fear_

_And I know that my heart will go on_

_We'll stay, forever this way_

_You are safe in my heart _

_And my heart will go on and on_

The challenger gathered up his pokemon, rushing out of town. He wouldn't be making any public appearanced for a while.

Sitting on her front porch, sipping sweet lemonade and watching the sun set out on the waves, Lyra forgot her fury, forgot her grief, forgot everything but the taste of the drink and the rippling, blood-red waves. But she didn't forget Silver.

She would never forget Silver.

* * *

Well. I'm actually quite happy with how this turned out—and I won't update for a while. School sucks like that. And piano, and clarinet, and theory—you get the point. So, Lyra's in kind of a delicate mental balance between calm and breakdown, so I need one more chapter to round it up, so to speak. Oh, and mean challenger guy was an OC.


	3. Chapter 3

**Black Rose**

Third and final chapter! This was pretty fun to write, and I love how epic Lyra was last chapter. So. Read on…if you dare.

Disclaimer: I am terribly sorry, but no, I do not own anything. No, not even Embers by Owl City, which is the song for this chapter.

Lyra unlocked her front door, stepping inside to the relief of air conditioning, Mawile behind her. She smiled halfheartedly as Mawile flopped down on the tile floors, head tilted back as if the weight of its huge toothy jaw was too much to handle.

"All right, Mawile. Go down to the basement and find Espeon and Ninetales. It's cooler down there."

Mawile nodded in agreement and started for the basement door. Lyra watched until it turned down the stairs, then turned around to lock the door. That week, Cherrygrove and New Bark had both been hit with a huge heat wave. New Bark was better off because of the wind there, but Cherrygrove was used to living in mild, temperate ocean weather all year round, and was totally unprepared. Lyra had just come back from a short walk around the beach, and was sure that she hadn't been this hot in years—not since Cinnabar Island and Blair's gym.

Slipping off her flip-flops, Lyra climbed the stairs to her room. Her Cherrygrove house was somewhat isolated from the rest of the houses, but Lyra didn't mind. It put her closer to the beach, almost right on the white sand, and she could always hear the waves. Lyra had decorated it with quirky but elegant touches—matching crystal chandeliers, a wrought-iron banister, creamy white and olive green paint, a whitewashed porch with a few wicker chairs and a small tea table, and beautiful paintings of all sizes and shapes.

But her room was by far the best of all. It wasn't big nor small, but just the right size. The floors were rough, unfinished white wood, and the room was shaped almost like an octagon. Across from the door, her bed was built into the "top" three sides of the octagon—there was a low, wooden base that housed three drawers for extra storage, a soft, thin mattress on top, and then her silk sheets and pillows. Two pot lights were set into the ceiling right above her bed, and sheer silk curtains could be drawn across the open side, so they formed an alcove. The floor was carpeted with fluffy white carpets, a window seat in the three sides that held the bay window, an old-fashioned dressing mirror, a walk-in closet, and even a doorway that opened to her bathroom.

Lyra closed the door to her room. She slipped out of her gray minidress, putting it in the laundry basket for later, then picked up her favourite white nightgown, neatly folded on her bed, before going to the bathroom. Opposite the door to Lyra's room was another doorway, leading to another bedroom. Once upon a time, that room had belonged to Silver. After his death, Lyra had touched nothing, but still methodically cleaned his room every week, intending to keep it like that forever. The bed was still unmade, the pillows and sheets still retaining his scent, even after almost a year. The bookcase was still full of all his favourite books, his clothes still in the drawers.

She shook her head as if to clear all the thoughts about Silver, but as she stepped into the shower, Lyra found her eyes still wandering to his doorway. Closing the shower curtains, Lyra turned on the tap and braced herself for the exhilarating shock of a cold shower.

Five minutes later, Lyra had finished showering, but still she stood there, letting cold water run through her already soaked hair, and standing there, Lyra finally snapped.

There in the shower, she cried.

_There were days, when each hour was a war I fought to survive,_  
_There were nights, full of nightmares and I dreaded closing my eyes,_  
_There were skies, that burst open with a downpour that drowned me alive,_  
_But the world took a spark like a match in the dark,_  
_And the fire brought me to life..._

The tears came out of nowhere, bursting, tearing through Lyra like water pouring through a broken dam, her hot tears mingling with the cold shower water. They stopped as suddenly as they came, leaving only the cold behind.

Lyra was toweled and dried, and after changing into her nightgown, she took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway into Silver's room. Closing her eyes, Lyra almost believed that if she stood there long enough, just long enough, Silver would come back, and everything would return to normal again.

But it wouldn't.

Tomorrow, it would be a year. A whole year since Silver died. Somehow it felt much longer than that. Somehow. Silver had died in July. July 19. They hadn't even been togther for a year.

Stepping through the bathroom back into her room, Lyra walked over to her window seat. She spent a lot of time there, thumbing through her novels by sunlight. There was even a little movable shelf, about a quarter of the size of the window seat, stacked high with Lyra's books. And on top of the shelf was a picture that Cameron the Photographer had taken at that Valentine's carnival. She had that black rose in her hair, and was leaning into Silver, who had his arms around her. They were smiling, perfect and radiant and _happy_.

_So I'm fanning the flames to climb so high,_  
_'Cause there's no other way we can stay alive,_

Ethan had visited last month with Kris. They were getting married soon, and though Lyra was happy beyond words for them, she couldn't help but feel a pang whenever she saw them together. Couldn't help but think of the life they were going to have, the life that could've belonged to her and Silver. She still remembered Ethan's words, his exclamation of surprise.

_Lyra! You—you didn't—that carnival picture! You turned it around! Why—why did you do that, Ly?_

It was true. Lyra had turned over the picture, so that it no longer faced the open room, but instead faced the window seat. She had said nothing when Ethan noticed, but she hadn't been trying to hide it.

Lyra had turned that picture around, because every time she read on the window seat, all she had to do was look over, and she could see Silver.

All she had to do was look over.

_Cause we're burning bright,_  
_As we all unite,_  
_And when it's all said and done,_  
_We'll shine like the sun,_  
_So don't let the fire die..._

___And we'll watch the sky,  
As it fills with light,  
And though the embers are new,  
Whatever you do, just don't let the fire die..._

The next day, Lyra mounted her Lugia and set course for Lavender Town. They'd left early in the morning, and arrived just before ten. Lyra had walked around town, buying what she needed, before eating lunch at a small bistro. At twelve thirty, Lyra walked into the Lavender cemetery, silently stepping through a narrow pathway, before arriving at the private gravesite. The Kotone family gravesite. She paid her respects to her relatives first, before finally standing before Silver's grave. Lyra polished the silver first, watching it shine in the sunlight. Tracing one delicate finger over the letters etched into the silver, Lyra silently draped white roses all around Silver's grave, just as she had done before, and lit incense, just as she had done before. Going through the motions was easy. Consciously going through the motions was impossibly difficult. And before she knew it, Lyra was crying again.

___And you'll find there'll be mornings,_  
_When the ashes and embers are cold,_  
_But you'll fight with a passion,_  
_And you'll never stop 'cause you know,_  
_Yeah you know, it gets better,_  
_And your story is yet to be told,_  
_Every push, every shove, every war, every love,_  
_Yeah, the coals are beginning to glow..._

"Hey, Silver," Lyra whispered, brushing her tears away. "It's been a year, huh? Seems…so much longer, somehow.

"You know I love you, right? I'm going to say it again: I love you.

"You know, Silver. Someday, I'll die too. And when that day comes, I'll be buried right beside you, in the Kotone family gravesite. Someday, Ethan and Kris'll have kids, and they will all come visit you together. And you know what? The kids are going to point, and say: 'Hey, why is he here? He's not related to us,' and Ethan and Kris will tell them all about us. About our love story, and about how you earned the right, over and over again, to be buried here.

"There's something you should know, Silver. Tomorrow, I'm making my first public appearance in over a year. It's an exhibition battle against Blue. They'll see that I've haven't dumbed down, eh?"

Lyra laughed suddenly, breaking her own monologue, tossing her head back and letting her tears shine,

_So I'm fanning the flames to climb so high,_  
_'Cause there's no other way we can stay alive,_

"And I'm wearing red. The year is over, Silver. I'm not hiding anymore. Our love, we had—we _have_ a fire. And last year, when—when you…left, the fire almost died, right along with you. These past months, I've been training the coals to burn again, because I believe, Silver, that there's still a spark left in us, in the idea of love and fairytales and happily ever after, and that spark's been dormant, but now it's going to light again, and the flames are going to climb higher than ever, because I want it to, and because I still have hope that our love is so powerful that it can cross the chasm between life and death.

_Cause we're burning bright,_  
_As we all unite,_  
_And when it's all said and done,_  
_We'll shine like the sun,_  
_So don't let the fire die..._

_And we'll watch the sky,  
As it fills with light,  
And though the embers are new,  
Whatever you do, just don't let the fire die..._

"There is one thing stronger than fear, Silver, and that same thing happens to be stronger than grief. Hope is stronger. Hope, and belief, and willpower, they all embody the same thing, really, Silver. Really."

At this, Lyra ducked her head, her long hair falling in her face.

_Don't let the fire die...  
It gets better,  
Just don't let the fire die, no..._

"I'm sorry, Silver," she said, voice quavering. "I'm sorry for almost letting the fire die, for pushing us apart even farther. But you've got to keep on going, even when life and expectations and all that jazz is pulling you down and telling you to let go, to come undone.

"I love you, Silver. I love you, and I believe than somewhere, somehow, you still love me. And I promise you, Silver, that I won't let the fire die. Someday, we _will_ be together again."

_Cause we're burning bright,_  
_As we all unite,_  
_And when it's all said and done,_  
_We'll shine like the sun,_  
_So don't let the fire die..._

_And we'll watch the sky,  
As it fills with light,  
And though the embers are new,  
Whatever you do, just don't let the fire die..._

The incense was almost burned out. Lyra stood up, and walked away, one last tear sliding down her face, falling into empty space.

Just after Lyra left, the tear landed on the incense. By all rights, it should've gone out, the tear providing extra incentive to break its already dying life.

But it didn't go out.

_And though the embers are new,_  
_Whatever you do, just don't let the fire die..._  
_Don't let the fire die..._

And the legend remains, passed down among the Lavender Town citizens, that the incense never really burnt out. That there was still a spark, and that the black obsidian rose the Johto champion left on the ground in front of the grave stone shattered on its own, the jet beads rolling off the broken thread, onto the ground, before breaking as well.

Legend has it, that in that one moment, there was a moment, a moment where love conquered all.


End file.
